Titans receiver: Would quit over anthem rule, deletes tweet

Tennessee Titans wide receiver Rishard Matthews will not stay in the locker room or pay a fine if the NFL makes a new rule requiring players to stand for the national anthem at games.

In the since-deleted tweet, Matthews replied, "No, I will be done playing football".

Whether or not Matthews actually follows through with his threat is still to be seen, and of course, that's assuming the National Football League passes a rule saying players must stand for the anthem, which may or may not happen.

Last month Matthews, whose father served 23 years in the Marines and whose brother was killed in action while serving in the same branch of the military, was asked about the athlete's role in discussing social issues last month.

Trump, via Twitter, inaccurately posted that Goodell's memo ordered the players to stand for the national anthem, which the league quickly rebuked.

The Titans remained in the locker room during the anthem before their Week 3 game against the Seattle Seahawks.

In a letter to NFL team executives that was obtained by CNNMoney, NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell said the league needs to "move past this controversy" and the dispute "is threatening to erode the unifying power of our game and is now dividing us, and our players, from many fans across the country".

A former college teammate of Colin Kaepernick, the free agent quarterback who first began protesting injustice by kneeling during the anthem last season, Matthews has also donated $75,000 to less fortunate communities. The receiver explained he didn't want his protest seen as a "publicity stunt". However, that changed after Trump referred to protesting players as 'sons of b******' during a speech in Alabama back in September. They tried to have a silent protest, and look what happened.